‘The King’s Speech’ leads obvious Golden Globes nominations

‘Glee’ has most TV nominations

Los Angeles  “The King’s Speech” is precisely the kind of film that has long appealed to awards voters: It’s historical, focuses on royalty, depicts a character overcoming physical adversity and features a classy cast.

So it should come as no surprise that it received the most Golden Globe nominations Tuesday with seven, including best picture, on a morning when there were few surprises to be found. The film’s director, Tom Hooper, was also among the nominees, as were stars Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter.

Based on the story of how King George VI (Firth) battled a stammer with the help of an unorthodox speech therapist (Rush) just prior to World War II, “The King’s Speech” hits all the right notes and does it with impeccable polish. But beneath the flawless production values and period trappings is a relevant story about uplift — always popular come awards time.

Other top nominees were David Fincher’s “The Social Network,” which traces the origins of Facebook, and David O. Russell’s “The Fighter,” inspired by the true story of Boston-area boxer “Irish” Micky Ward. Both films received six nominations, including best picture and best director. “The Social Network” has been racking up top honors from critics groups across the country in recent days, including those in New York and Los Angeles.

These may all sound vastly different, but Rush, a supporting-actor nominee, sees a uniting thread among the front-runners.

“When I look at the films that have been nominated and the films that have been emerging through festivals in the last couple of months, it’s fascinating to me. Somebody actually did comment online that maybe we’re going back to the great old days of the ’70s where films had a bit of meat and a bit of bite and a bit of social commentary,” he said.

“The themes seem to be, particularly with our film, themes about leadership, communication, friendship — qualities that I think people are yearning for on some kind of grander scale. And that applies to certainly the ones I’ve seen, like ‘The Social Network’ or the individual ruggedness through ‘127 Hours,’ it’s quite fascinating how these things become the zeitgeist.”

The visceral, intimate “127 Hours,” based on the true story of a hiker who was trapped beneath a boulder for that duration, has also been a favorite so far, but it only received three Golden Globe nominations: best actor in a drama (James Franco), screenplay and original score. Still, it’s been in the mix among awards prognosticators and critics filling out their top-10 lists.

Even some of the wackier picks that had people all worked up Tuesday morning — the flashy but critically panned “Burlesque” and “The Tourist” earning three nominations each, including best musical or comedy — also make some sense historically. Yes, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which hands out the awards on Jan. 16, has been more in alignment with Academy Awards voters over the past decade or so. But the group — composed of about 85 critics and reporters for overseas outlets — also likes its international superstars.

It’s highly unlikely those lighter, frothier titles will surface again when Oscar nominations are announced Jan. 25 — after all, the Golden Globes are divided into drama and musical/comedy categories, so there’s room for a wider range of films. If any of the five best comedy nominees is likely to be included among the 10 best-picture slots at the Academy Awards, it’s “The Kids Are All Right,” starring Annette Bening and Julianne Moore, who were both nominated for playing a lesbian couple.

‘Glee’ leads TV field

The Golden Globe nominations in television categories had a familiar feel.

Fox’s “Glee,” which won best comedy or musical in its freshman year, topped all other shows with five nominations and could win best show honors for its sophomore season, too. The show’s Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch all earned nominations for their acting.

ABC’s “Modern Family” won an Emmy as best new comedy a few months ago and was nominated for a Golden Globe, too. Sofia Vergara and Eric Stonestreet were nominated in supporting actor categories.

All the TV series and actors who picked up trophies at the Golden Globes ceremony last winter have a chance to do so again in January, according to the nominations announced in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Tuesday.

The tiny AMC network beat all its rivals with two nominations for best drama series: “Mad Men,” which has won this category three years in a row; and this year’s zombie sensation “The Walking Dead.” Other top drama nominees were Showtime’s “Dexter,” HBO’s new “Boardwalk Empire” and CBS’ “The Good Wife.”

Besides “Glee” and “Modern Family,” best comedy nominees included “The Big C” and “Nurse Jackie” from Showtime, NBC’s “30 Rock” and CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory.” Two actors in their final years with series — Steve Carell on NBC’s “The Office” and Kyra Sedgwick of TNT’s “The Closer” — both received Golden Globe nominations.

HBO’s “Temple Grandin” and Starz’s “Pillars of the Earth” were the most honored productions in the miniseries or movie category, with three nominations each.